There are a wide range of possible ways in the prior art for programming electronic operating devices for discharge lamps, for example wireless radio transmissions, additional control lines with proprietary protocols or standardized protocols for analog and digital interfaces (1..10V, DALI). Methods are also known for signal transmission on the mains line, for example the ripple control method of the electricity concerns or more modern methods such as “Powerline”. All these methods require more or less complex additional circuit arrangements with input stages and special filters, which increase the cost of the electronic operating devices. If the operating devices are intended to be programmed only for different dimming levels and dimming times, then the abovementioned methods are too complex, and are therefore not worthwhile.